How Volunteering Can Shape Membership-Based Organizations

According to Double the Donation's volunteer statistics report, more than 60 million people volunteer annually in the US alone. Why? For some, it’s the chance to forge meaningful connections, and for others, it’s the feeling of giving back to a community or cause that they hold dear. Some people even start volunteering because of their employer’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, such as volunteer time off or volunteer grants.

This isn’t just the case for individuals. Whether you represent an alumni/ae group or a professional association, volunteering can benefit your organization in many ways. And, with robust volunteer management tools, it’s easier than ever to manage a program as large as your organization’s.

In this guide, we’ll explore the immense value of volunteering for membership-based organizations and how to get your community involved. Let’s dive in!

Benefits of Volunteering for Membership-Based Organizations

1. Strengthens Member Relationships

Members join your organization to bond with people who share their passions and to hear diverse perspectives from people with different worldviews. Facilitating these relationship-building opportunities is crucial for keeping members engaged and retaining their membership long-term. 

Team volunteer outings provide a perfect opportunity for members to work together towards a common goal and get to know each other personally. This is especially helpful for organizations with numerous chapters, like fraternal organizations. And you don’t have to worry about bringing everyone together in person—there are virtual volunteer opportunities available so you can mobilize members easily. 

2. Improves Your Organization’s Reputation

Developing a welcoming, hard-working, and impactful reputation for your organization is critical for acquiring new members and community partners. Committing seriously to volunteering is a great way to improve your organization’s public image and appeal to socially responsible potential members. 

However, your members also need to genuinely care about social impact and volunteering for your message to come across. This is why social impact needs to be one of your organization’s core values and should be integrated into your membership acquisition practices. For instance, you might incorporate a few questions into the entry interview about the applicant’s history with and opinion of volunteering. That way, you’ll cultivate a member community that is predisposed to embodying your value of social responsibility. 

3. Empowers You to Impact Mission-Centric Causes

Your organization doesn’t operate in a vacuum, so your team should be aware of external organizations and how their activities impact your mission—both positively and negatively. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to impact causes that align with your values and members’ interests, as long as you choose your partnerships carefully.

For instance, let’s say a local chapter of the American Veterinary Association is looking to provide quality, low-cost care to animals whose owners struggle with veterinary expenses. They might partner with a local animal shelter and start a monthly veterinary clinic where members provide pro bono care for community members’ pets. 

Additionally, volunteering empowers your members to support causes they’re passionate about without a financial burden. This can be particularly appealing for Millennial and Generation Z members, who may be eager to make a difference but are more likely to have time to give rather than money.

4. Provides Skill Development Opportunities

A leading reason why members join membership-based organizations (especially associations) is to learn skills, whether from more experienced professionals in their field or from peers. If skill development is a key focus of your organization, you could use volunteering as a tool to strengthen member aptitudes. Here are some example skills that members could learn while volunteering:

• Leadership. Becoming a leader appeals to many of your members, but jumping into a role with your organization can be stressful. Picking up extra responsibilities on a volunteer shift is a great way for members to test the waters and build their confidence as leaders.

• Communication. Volunteers will likely engage with various stakeholder groups throughout a shift, such as beneficiaries and fellow volunteers and members, providing them with chances to improve their written and verbal communication tactics.

• Collaboration. Whether they’re picking up litter or cleaning a nonprofit’s database, volunteering provides a supportive environment for members to work together to improve outcomes.

• Technical. Members might learn job-specific skills through pro bono work or general life skills, like first aid, through volunteering. 

• Problem-solving. Volunteering might put members in unfamiliar situations, which allows members to practice thinking on their feet.

The most effective volunteer skill development programs task members themselves with exploring their competencies and seeing where they’d like to grow. Make this a self-led journey by matching members with roles that help them learn the skills that will be most beneficial for them. Ask them to complete a survey at the beginning of the cycle or before a volunteer outing. Then, work with the charitable cause to find the best fit for your members—it’ll be extra rewarding for members who want to forge their own path.  

How to Launch Your Volunteer Program

At this point, you’re probably eager to launch your own member-based volunteer program. Before you dive in, keep these best practices in mind:

• Choose mission-aligned opportunities. While you don’t strictly have to choose opportunities in your same niche, you should definitely stay away from working with organizations that are actively against your values. For instance, an environmental sustainability group should not partner with an organization that pollutes excessively. Also, make sure the nonprofits you work with have positive reputations among the general public.

• Define your engagements with nonprofits. Your organization might work exclusively with certain philanthropic partners, or you might allow members to volunteer with several different nonprofits. Set the scope of your engagement early so you can effectively plan shifts. 

• Set guidelines. Establish expectations, roles, and responsibilities for the volunteer program. For example, you might have an hourly requirement each member must hit in a specific timeframe.
• Clearly communicate. Your program has many details to keep track of, so help your members by consistently communicating with them. Use your club management software to send members important details regarding upcoming shifts and share general tips for success.

Your volunteer program won’t come together overnight, and you’ll likely have to pivot your approach after you’ve launched it. Collect feedback from members and philanthropic partners so you can improve your weaknesses and leverage your strengths.

Your organization’s management team members aren’t the only ones working hard to make your program successful. Your members deserve your credit and praise for participating and helping you improve your efforts over time. Be sure to express your appreciation to your volunteers by offering rewards such as branded merchandise and personalized handwritten thank-you notes. This way, they’ll understand the true impact of their contributions and potentially increase their involvement going forward.